This invention relates to an expandable baton having a handle grip cap.
Expandable or telescoping batons are often carried by law enforcement officers today instead of the old-style night stick. Such batons are popular because they are lightweight and quite short in their collapsed configuration (about 8-10 inches. Such batons are constructed in tubular sections (typically three) with the main tubular section being the handle and with progressively smaller diameter tubular sections that fit within each other and within the handle. When expanded such batons can have a length of about one yard.
Expandable batons of the type in current use are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,372,363 and 5,797,797. These batons have a removable threaded end cap screwed onto the threaded outer end of the handle section, the diameter of the end cap being substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the handle section.
In use the law enforcement officer grasps the handle of the expanded baton in his hand and swings it like a club. The forces generated by such swinging action can cause the officer to lose their grip on the baton and the baton to fly out of their hand. If this occurs during practice sessions, other participants can be injured by the flying baton. If this occurs during an altercation, the officer may be forced to go to the next level of force, i.e., draw his gun.